Countdown
by BlueEyedTemptress
Summary: During the series finale, this is the countdown scene we didn't get to see. What will happen when the gang rings in the new year? COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Countdown

Summary: During the series finale, this is the countdown scene that we didn't get to see. What happens when it hits one?

Disclaimer: Oh, if only I owned That 70's Show! So much would be different. But alas, I do not. And that's why I write Fanfiction. So I can fix what the writer's do wrong.

A/N: Alright, for those of you following my other story "Where You Belong," I will have chapter three up very soon, probably tomorrow in fact. I was having some troubles with it, however, and as I was trying to write it, this scene popped into my head and I decided to write it down since it won't fit in with the other storyline. This is sorta a fluff piece, so Hyde may seem a bit OOC, but I wanted this to be a sweet story. Well, enjoy and please review! Thanks!

The countdown was about to start, and the gang was assembled in the Forman's living room, eagerly watching the little clock in the corner of the TV. Kitty and Red were sitting on the couch, Kitty's hand resting on Red's knee as she bounced up and down with excitement. Bob was sitting next to Red, a silly pink plastic top hat positioned jauntily on his head. Eric and Donna were standing next to the couch, close enough that their elbows kept "accidentally" bumping against one another, causing them both to glance at each other with sheepish smiles. Kelso was sitting in Red's chair, twirling a noisemaker in his hand and earning a sharp "Quit it, kettlehead!" from Red. Jackie and Fez were on the other side of the couch, the glass of wine Mrs. Forman had given them all as their "special treat" in Jackie's left hand, now empty, while Fez was chewing on a piece of licorice. Hyde was in the kitchen, searching the fridge for a beer.

"Fez, will you get me another drink?" Jackie asked and offered him her empty glass.

Fez took her glass and made his way across the room to the bar. Just then, the countdown started, and Hyde entered the living room.

_Ten._

"Jacks."

The familiar nickname startled Jackie, and she smiled despite herself. She angled her head to the left and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, raising a brow expectantly when he didn't say anything else.

_Nine._

"Listen, I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Hyde said, popping the tab on his beer and taking a long sip.

_Eight._

"For what, Steven?" Jackie asked, her eyes darting across the room to see if Fez had noticed them. He had set down her wineglass and was currently fixated on the television, watching the ball steadily drop.

_Seven._

Hyde shrugged, but his eyes found hers as he said, "For Sam. For staying married to her just to hurt you."

Jackie was taken aback. She had always assumed those were his motives, but hearing the words come out of his mouth, confirming her suspicions, was a totally different matter. She was speechless, and for Jackie, that was a big deal.

_Six._

Encouraged by her silence, Hyde took a step closer to her. "Jackie, I know you're with Fez now, and I just wanted to say I hope he makes you happy."

Jackie gave him a small smile, but her eyes were inexplicably drawn to his mouth. "He does," she said in a faraway voice.

_Five._

Hyde smirked as he noticed her line of sight. "Fez is a good guy. He won't hurt you like Kelso did." He paused and tilted his head; his eyes trailing down her body. "Or like I did."

_Four._

Nodding, Jackie's tongue darted out unconsciously to lick her lips. Her eyes flicked up to his and were instantly caught by his gaze.

_Three._

He took another step closer to her, forcing her head to tilt upwards to continue eye contact. "But just so you know…"

_Two._

Jackie's heart was pounding in her ears. The rest of the room and the noise of the people in it faded away as she stared, mesmerized, into Hyde's deep blue eyes.

_One._

"I never stopped loving you."

"_Happy New Year!"_

As the noise in the room escalated to an almost unbearable volume, Hyde's lips captured Jackie's possessively. His arms wrapped around her small frame, pulling her to him. Jackie returned the kiss with as much passion as she felt, her fingers delving into the curls at the base of his neck, pressing his mouth more firmly against hers. The rest of the world seemed to fall away as the former lovers embraced each other.

1980 had begun.

A/N: So, what'd you think? Should I continue or leave it as it is? You decide, let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow, I'm ecstatic that this story was received so well! Thank you all so much! And, thanks to the majority of reviews requesting a continuation, I have decided to try my hand at it. So, without further ado, the continuing saga of Countdown.

Fez tore his eyes away from the TV as the crowd in the Forman's living room shouted "Two!" and looked about frantically for Jackie. It was almost midnight, and, as American tradition had been explained to him thoroughly by Jackie just the other night, the New Year could only officially begin with a kiss. Noticing she was still on the other side of the room, he grabbed her refilled wineglass and made his way over to her as the others yelled "One!" He opened his mouth to call her name, but froze instantly.

"Happy New Year!"

The living room erupted with shouts and whoops of excitement, followed by the annoying sound of a million different kinds of noisemakers, but the noise was muted in Fez's ears as he watched one of his best friends lean towards his girlfriend and capture her lips in a passionate kiss. He watched them for what seemed an eternity, hurt and anger and all manner of unpleasant emotions swirling around in his belly.

"Oh my God!" he heard Donna shout, but he could not look away.

Donna, after receiving a thorough, and very long awaited, kiss from Eric, had turned happily to glance at Jackie. The tiny girl had been in a slight depression as of late, due to her awkward relationship with Fez. The two had found dating difficult, and Jackie had been distressed at the prospect of beginning a brand new year with yet another problematic relationship. Donna had hoped that ringing in the New Year with the gang would help ease some of the tension between them, but as she spotted the small cheerleader, her mouth dropped open.

Eric, startled by his girlfriend's outburst, turned to see what she was so upset about, and his eyes practically fell out of his head. There, near the kitchen door, stood Hyde, his arms wrapped tightly around the petite brunette, his mouth welded to hers. And off to the side, a bewildered Fez stood looking on, clearly too stunned to move. He blinked as Donna streaked past him.

"Jackie, what the hell?" Donna cried, grabbing the smaller girl's shoulder and roughly wrenching her away from Hyde.

Jackie's eyes snapped open as she was unceremoniously dislodged from her ex-boyfriend's embrace, and she found herself staring up at an extremely pissed off looking Donna. She heard Hyde give a grunt of protest from behind her, but one withering look from the angry former redhead shut him up instantly.

"Donna!" Jackie said, trying to sound as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Happy New Year!" She opened her arms and smiled so wide her cheeks hurt, but Donna didn't budge.

"What the hell is going on here?" the taller girl demanded, glaring first at Jackie and then at Hyde, who had backed up slightly and was leaning one shoulder nonchalantly against the doorframe.

"Donna, what are you talking about?" Jackie asked through a gritted smile.

Donna rolled her eyes. "Cut the crap, Jackie." She pointed a finger accusingly at the cheerleader and said, "I just yanked you out of Hyde's arms. Remember Hyde? Your _ex_-boyfriend?"

Jackie threw a quick glance at Hyde and sputtered nervously, "What, that? That-that was nothing!"

Donna's eyes narrowed dangerously, and she looked about ready to scream again, when Fez stepped out from behind her, head bowed slightly.

"Jackie?" he asked quietly.

Jackie instantly felt an enormous wave of guilt wash over her. "Oh, Fez," she said softly, taking a step closer to him, her hand stretched out to touch his cheek. When he backed up, she halted, her arm dropping heavily to her side. "I'm so sorry, Fez."

He gave her a sad smile. "At least now I know," was all he said before he turned and walked out of the Forman's house.

A/N: Okay, so I'm extremely nervous for posting this. I hope I didn't ruin the whole thing by continuing on! Please let me know what you think, and sorry it's so short. I'm going to try to write the next chapter tonight and have it posted by tomorrow. Hopefully by then I'll have a better idea of where I want to take this since right now I'm pretty much just writing it as I go along! Anyway, please review! I would so appreciate it!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Again, you guys have been amazing with all the reviews! Many, many thanks to all those reading and reviewing! I think I have a better idea of where this story is headed now, so that should help. Anyway, sorry it's been a little longer than normal for an update – I was gone for the weekend, but I'm back now! So thanks again for the feedback, and please enjoy this next installment!

The rest of the gathering watched Fez leave and, though they had missed the exact reason, they knew something bad had happened. An awkward silence permeated the living room, broken suddenly by Kitty's signature laugh. All eyes turned to her, and her face flushed crimson.

"Well, it's getting late," she said hurriedly. "Red, I think we should go up to bed now." She glanced around at her guests and gave them a tiny, embarrassed smile. "Happy New Year, everybody!" Then she quickly raced up the stairs.

Red stared after her and then turned to face the intruders of his home. "You heard the lady, everybody out!" And with that, he followed his wife.

Bob reached up and plucked the top hat from his head, placing it on the banister and fluffing his wilting Afro. He walked past Donna and Jackie and glanced sideways at them. "I'm going to bed, too. You girls don't stay out too late." Then he too, left.

Donna turned toward Jackie, a frown on her face. "Jackie, stoop."

Jackie glanced back at Hyde. "Actually, I was…"

"Jackie, now," Donna said dangerously, grabbing the cheerleader's arm and dragging her to the door. She practically shoved Jackie outside and closed the door behind them, seating herself on the Forman's front stoop, the place where she and Jackie had had many long talks.

"Look, Donna, I know what you're going to say," Jackie began as she sat down next to her friend.

"Break up with Fez."

Jackie sighed. "I know, but I never stopped loving Steven and…wait, what did you say?" She stared at her friend in disbelief, watching the smile slowly creep over Donna's face.

"Jackie, as creepy and unnatural as I used to think your relationship with Hyde was, I have realized over the years that you two are good for each other." She shrugged. "But for the record, I'm mad at you for doing that to Fez. And now you have no choice but to break up with him."

Nodding, Jackie took a deep breath. "I know, but Donna, I don't want to hurt him."

Donna placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I know you don't, Jackie, but staying with him because you don't want to hurt him is just going to end up hurting him, you know?" Seeing the confused look on Jackie's face, she elaborated, "Look, Fez really likes you, and he has for a long time, but leading him on when you can't give him what he really wants from you is only going to make things worse. And I'm not going to say that it's not going to hurt him, but he'll understand. Although, you probably could've saved yourself a lot of trouble by _not_ kissing Hyde." She gave Jackie a pointed look, and then laughed when the smaller girl hit her on the arm.

Jackie shook her head, smiling at Donna's jest. Then, with another loud sigh, she glanced up at the sky. "This is going to be so hard." She glanced at Donna, a hopeful look on her face. "Donna, could you…"

"No."

"But…"

"No."

"Donna, would you just listen?" Jackie practically shouted, exasperated.

Donna shook her head. "Jackie, I'm not going to break up with Fez for you. This is your mess, and you have to clean it up."

"Donna, rich people don't clean up their messes. We hire people to do that for us," Jackie explained, as if Donna should have learned that by now.

Standing, Donna sighed. Her friend would never completely change, but oddly, it was part of what made Jackie who she was, and despite that, she had grown on all of them, even Eric, though he would die before he admitted he actually liked the spawn of Satan. "I think you've got a foreigner to speak to," she said. With that, she reentered the Forman's house, leaving Jackie alone on the stoop to think of what she could say to Fez.

Meanwhile, in the basement, the three guys were sitting around the circle, smoke filtering around them.

Eric shook his head. "I can't believe this. I thought you were cured of your freakish obsession with Jackie. How many times have I told you she's the devil?"

"Yeah, didn't your stripper wife distract you enough?" Kelso agreed, laughing at his own joke.

"Look, man," Hyde began, ignoring his giggling friend, "I don't know how or why, but Jackie's got like this hold on me, and no matter what I do, I can't break it."

Kelso grinned. "I think it's 'cause you loooove her," he mocked, turning his head to make kissing noises at Fez, but finding the foreigner conspicuously missing. "Hey, where's Fez?"

"He ran off when he saw Hyde molesting his girlfriend, remember?" Eric said, grinning across the table at his friend, who scowled at him in return.

It took a moment for Kelso to replay the scene in his head, but then he laughed. "Oh yeah! That was a good burn!"

Hyde sighed. "Kelso, it wasn't meant to be a burn. It just kind of…happened."

"So, are you guys getting back together now or what?" Eric asked, and then exclaimed, "Alright! Twizzlers!" as he discovered the long-forgotten bag of candy next to Fez's chair.

Hyde sighed. "I don't know, man, she seemed upset when Fez found out."

Snatching the bag of Twizzlers from Eric, Kelso stuck one in his mouth and said, "Maybe she was upset _because_ Fez found out."

"No, she was upset because she's _dating_ Fez, you moron," Hyde retorted. He grabbed the bag of Twizzlers and bit the end off one, contemplating as he chewed. "Man, this whole thing was a big mistake." He spread his arms wide and continued, "I can't believe after everything that happened she still makes me stupid."

Eric placed a hand over his heart and batted his eyelashes at Hyde as he cooed, "Aw, you really _do_ love her, you big softie." Then the entire contents of the Twizzlers bag was dumped into his lap, but he just shrugged and popped one in his mouth.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: A big thank you to all my wonderful reviewers! I love you guys! Sorry for the slowness again. I've been battling writer's block and work has been really hectic lately, so I haven't had a whole lot of time. This chapter gets kinda mushy, and some OOCness might occur as a result, so I apologize for that if it's glaringly obvious. Hope it's not too bad, but let me know what you think!

Jackie sat nervously on the couch in her and Fez's apartment, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. Her eyes flicked up to the clock every few seconds, and each time she frowned at the minute hand that simply refused to move. Once, she even got up and picked the clock up to make sure it was ticking, then set it down with a huff and returned to her spot across the room, glaring at it all the while.

She had been waiting for what felt like hours for Fez to finally come home from work, though she still had no idea what she was going to say to him. She had practiced a conversation out loud with Fluffycakes, but even the stuffed unicorn seemed unimpressed by her lame excuses, and so, Jackie had resigned herself to waiting, hoping that when she saw Fez the right words would come tumbling out of their own accord.

A knock at her door made Jackie's heart jump up in her throat, and the thought that Fez wouldn't knock at his own door didn't even cross her mind as she hurried over to it.

"Steven?" she breathed, startled to see him.

He blinked in surprise. "Uh…hey, I didn't expect to see you here."

Jackie frowned. "Steven, I live here."

Hyde chuckled nervously and stepped past her into the apartment. "Oh…yeah, I forgot that."

Closing the door, Jackie turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. "Um, not to be rude, Steven, but what are you doing here?"

"Well, I…came to talk to Fez…about what happened last night," Hyde replied haltingly.

"No, no, _I'm_ here to talk to Fez," Jackie said and pointed to herself to emphasize the point.

Hyde quirked an eyebrow at her. "Jackie, I don't really think this has to be a competition. I know you love winning and everything, but…"

With a snort and a roll of her eyes, Jackie cut him off and came to sit beside him on the couch. "Steven, we can't both talk to Fez about what happened. Do you know how awkward that will be for him? First he saw us making out and now he has to sit in the same room with both of us while we try to explain ourselves?"

Hyde considered this for a minute, and was just about to agree and get up to leave when the sound of jingling keys stopped him cold. His eyes widened, and he looked at Jackie, whose expression of terror mirrored his own.

Fez tried hard to keep his expression neutral as he opened the door and noticed the two deer-in-the-headlight looking people in his apartment, but he failed as Jackie stepped forward.

"Fez, I'm so glad you're home," she said as she came toward him, a timid smile twitching her lips. "I wanted to talk to you."

He could feel the tears stinging his eyes, but he blinked them back furiously. He could not, however, stop his hands from shaking as they gripped his keys tightly, nor could he help the quaver in his voice when he said, "I think you made your point last night, Jackie."

"Fez, come on, man, just let us explain," Hyde pleaded as he too took a step forward.

Fez's dark eyes snapped to him. "How dare you show up here, you son of a bitch." His normally joking tone was replaced by a hard, cold one as he said the familiar phrase, and Hyde hesitated.

Jackie glanced fearfully between the two and then placed a hand gently on Fez's chest. "Fez, please listen to me," she beseeched, her eyes bright with brimming tears. When he simply looked down at her and didn't pull away, she took that as a sign to continue, and without removing her hand, said quietly, "What Steven and I did last night was wrong, and we both know that. It was unfair to you, and we're so sorry, Fez."

"We didn't mean for it to happen," Hyde added.

Fez glared at him. "Oh, so you just tripped and fell on my girlfriend's lips?"

Hyde shifted uncomfortably under the foreigner's penetrating gaze. "Uh…well, no. I guess it was a little planned out, but I wasn't thinking when I did it, man."

"Well that makes it okay then," Fez bit out sarcastically, eyes narrowing.

"Fez, please," Jackie pleaded again, bringing his eyes back to her. "Steven and I never meant to hurt you. Please, Fez, you have to believe me."

"So what does this mean, Jackie?" he asked, searching her face intently. "Are you and Hyde back together now?"

Jackie hesitated. She had assumed that the kiss meant that Steven wanted to get back together with her, but they had never actually discussed it, and now that the subject had been breached, she felt awkward and stupid for jumping to conclusions. Perhaps the kiss had meant nothing more than closure to him. She dropped her hand from Fez's chest and her eyes panned over to Hyde's motionless body, begging the very same question Fez had just voiced.

Hyde's eyes locked onto hers, and when he spoke, she had a feeling he was speaking more to her than to Fez, even though his words were directed at the foreigner. "I've never felt this way about a girl before, and I'm sorry that it had to come to this, but I love her, and I'm not willing to let her go again."

Jackie's heart skipped a beat, and she had to bite back the squeal that was threatening to break free. She let her eyes do the talking for her instead, knowing they could tell Steven better than she how much it meant to hear him say those words.

"I see," Fez said somberly, breaking through their intimate moment.

Jackie swiveled back to face him. "Oh, Fez, I'm so sorry, but…I'm still in love with Steven. I think I always will be."

Fez nodded slowly, his head bowed in defeat.

Hyde cocked his head to the side and studied his friend carefully. "Hey, man, you gonna be okay?"

Looking up, Fez forced a small smile. "Actually, I have decided to return to my homeland."

Jackie gasped and grabbed his arms. "Fez, no! You don't have to go back home just because of this!"

"I won't be gone long," Fez reassured. "And it's not just because of this. I have been wanting to go back since my friend visited. It's been a long time since I've been home."

"You sure, man?" Hyde asked.

Fez nodded and Jackie let go of him reluctantly.

Stepping forward, Hyde clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Really am sorry about the way things turned out, Fez."

"No you're not, you son of a bitch," Fez retorted, but the teasing tone was back and Hyde knew he hadn't meant it this time.

He grinned and glanced at Jackie. "Yeah, no I'm not." Turning his eyes back to Fez he said,"See you in a couple weeks, buddy?"

Fez nodded and they hugged briefly. Then Hyde left, and Fez turned to Jackie, whose brown eyes had filled again with tears.

"Fez, you really don't have to go."

He smiled kindly at her and pulled her in for a hug. "Jackie, it's okay. I sort of always knew you'd end up with Hyde sooner or later…I was just hoping it was later. I mean, we haven't even done it yet."

Jackie punched him playfully in the shoulder and he gave a short, "Ai!" She giggled and buried her face into his chest. "I'm going to miss you, you perv."

"Well, Jackie, if you want to do it now…" He was cut off by another slap, but he just smiled and hugged her tighter.

When she finally pulled away, the tears had leaked out of her eyes. "Thank you, Fez," she whispered before kissing him on the cheek and exiting the apartment.

Fez smiled softly as the door closed and then headed into his room to grab his luggage. It was going to be a long flight home.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Well, I was planning on ending this story at 5 chapters, but I felt kinda bad for teasing you guys and not giving you much J/H goodness, so I've decided there will be 6 chapters now. This chapter will be chock full of J/H fluff, and for those of you who have been feeling the pain of Fez, don't worry because he'll be back in the last chapter. Lyrics to "When I Need You" belong to Leo Sayer; I just borrowed them. So thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews, and now, let the J/H goodness begin!

Hyde's back was pressed against the wall opposite of Fez and Jackie's apartment, his hands shoved down deep into the pockets of his jeans. He couldn't hear what was being said behind the door, and not knowing was driving him slowly insane. What if she decided not to take him back? What if Fez's decision to return to his homeland had made her realize that she loved Fez instead?

The door opened, and all thoughts ceased inside his head. He pushed off the wall, and Jackie smiled as she saw him there. She had managed to stem the flow of tears, but he could distinctly see the fresh tear-tracks on her face. She closed the door behind her and came towards him, her eyes still a bit watery, but her smile never faltering, and he opened his arms to her and pulled her in closely. She buried her face into his chest, but she didn't cry. He rested his chin on the top of her head and rubbed her back soothingly until she finally withdrew herself from his embrace. With a small smile, she laced her fingers through his and together they headed down the hall and out of the apartment complex.

They reached his El Camino, and he opened the driver's side door for her, then slid in beside her and turned the ignition. As the Camino roared to life, he draped his right arm around her, and she snuggled against his side, leaning her head against his shoulder. They drove in companionable silence, watching the scenery drift lazily by.

A little while later, Hyde pulled the Camino into the Forman's driveway, removed his arm from around Jackie's shoulders, and shut off the engine. He turned to face her, concern evident on his face despite his ever-present shades.

"Jackie, you okay?"

Jackie smiled and nodded, but her gaze was riveted on the dashboard in front of her. "I just feel a little bad, like he's leaving because of me…because of us."

"So, are you having second thoughts…about us?" he asked and held his breath.

"Oh, Steven, no!" Jackie exclaimed, swiveling on her seat to face him. She took his hands in hers and smiled up into his eyes. "I want to be with you, Steven. It's just…well, you have to admit we didn't exactly get back together in the best way."

Hyde smiled, blue eyes twinkling. "Yeah…but it was fun."

Jackie hit him playfully in the arm.

"Fez is gonna be fine, Jacks," Hyde reassured, turning serious again. "And he'll be back before you know it. In fact, I bet going home will do him some good."

"I know." She reached over and grabbed his hand. "Come on, Steven, let's go inside."

Hyde slid across the bench seat and followed her into the Forman's house. The cozy little house he'd come to call home was thankfully empty, and he and Jackie made their way without pause into the basement. Jackie dropped his hand as she reached the bottom step and headed to the TV. She smiled as she saw _The Price is Right_ was on, and plopped down onto the couch.

"Look, Steven," she said and pointed to the screen. "Our favorite show."

Grinning, Hyde took a seat beside her and pulled her against him, tilting her face up to his. He kissed her softly, relishing in the feel of her supple lips and breathing her in deeply. She smelled like cherries and vanilla, and he'd forgotten how heady the mixture was. His mind started to reel as she flung her leg over his and, without breaking the kiss, straddled his lap. His hands ran up her thighs and rested at her waist as he felt her fingertips dancing up and down his arms. He deepened the kiss, nibbling on her bottom lip, begging entrance, which she willingly gave. His tongue slipped in and began a leisurely exploration of the velvety contours of her mouth, delighting in the taste of her.

_The Price is Right _had ended by the time they came up for air. Jackie's heartbeat was pounding in her ears; her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. Her lips were swollen, her dark eyes glazed with passion as she gazed at him.

"Show's over," Hyde remarked after both their heart rates had returned to normal.

Jackie glanced over her shoulder. "Yep, so it is." She turned back and smiled at him enticingly, her hands gliding up his chest. "What should we do now?" she asked, her eyes dancing with mischief.

Hyde raised a brow and slid one arm underneath her legs, the other wrapping around her waist. In one fluid movement, he planted his feet on the ground and pushed himself off the couch, taking Jackie with him. She giggled in surprise and clasped her hands behind his neck, nuzzling into the hollow of his throat as he carried her into his room. He set her down gently on his cot, but didn't immediately join her, instead walking across the room to his record player. Leo Sayer's "When I Need You" filled the room, and Hyde turned back to Jackie with a soft smile, extending his hand out to her.

"Steven, this was the song playing on the radio on our first date!" she cried as she took his hand.

Hyde nodded, his arms encircling her waist and pulling her close against his body. "I know."

Jackie glanced up at him. "You know, Fez and I tried to kiss to this song. It didn't work, it felt too awkward." She giggled a little at the memory, but then became serious again as she stared into his eyes. "I think that's when I realized he and I could never have what you and I do." She laid her head on his shoulder, smiling to herself as they twirled slowly around his tiny room. She breathed him in, smoke and Old Spice mingling into a scent that was purely Steven Hyde, a scent that, every time she breathed in, made her feel comforted and safe. She could see his pulse beating steadily in his neck, and on impulse, she pressed her lips to the spot and felt it speed up slightly.

He pulled away a bit and looked into her eyes. "I missed you," he said, his voice low and soft, betraying emotion he rarely showed.

Jackie's eyes sparkled with tears. "I missed you, too," she whispered and bent to close the distance between them, capturing his lips in a sweet kiss.

The evening had slipped into darkness while they danced, and Hyde's room was illuminated only by a sliver of moonlight shining through his small window. It had been so long since they had been in each other's arms, and neither one wanted the moment to end.

Bending his head close to her ear, Hyde whispered, "Stay the night with me?"

Jackie shivered slightly but nodded.

He took her small hands in his and led her to his cot, turning down the blankets and letting her slip under. He joined her and wrapped his arms securely around her petite frame, snuggling her against him and resting her head in the crook of his neck. She nuzzled into him, sighing in contentment; her eyes closed as sleep began to take hold of her.

"Jacks?"

Her eyes opened, but she didn't lift her head. "Hmm?"

Hyde hesitated, knowing he'd never really been comfortable telling her how he felt. But he wanted her to know, even though he knew she already did, he knew it was important that she hear the words, and important that he say them. "I love you."

Jackie smiled against his warm flesh, loving the tiny little thrill of excitement those three words caused. Her arm tightened around him and she leaned up, tenderly kissing him. "I love you, too, Steven." Then they drifted to sleep, the song they had fallen in love to still playing in the background.

_When I need you  
I just close my eyes and I'm with you  
And all that I so wanna give you  
It's only a heartbeat away_

_When I need love  
I hold out my hands and I touch love  
I never knew there was so much love  
Keeping me warm night and day_

_Miles and miles of empty space in between us  
The telephone can't take the place of your smile  
But you know I won't be travelin' forever  
It's cold out but hold out and do like I do_

_When I need you  
I just close my eyes and I'm with you  
And all that I so wanna give you babe  
It's only a heartbeat away_

_It's not easy when the road is your driver  
Honey that's a heavy load that we bear  
But you know I won't be travelin' a lifetime  
It's cold out but hold out and do like I do  
Oh, I need you_

_When I need love  
I hold out my hands and I touch love  
I never knew there was so much love  
Keeping me warm night and day_

_When I need you  
I just close my eyes  
And you're right here by my side  
Keeping me warm night and day_

_I just hold out my hands  
I just hold out my hand  
And I'm with you darlin'  
Yes, I'm with you darlin'  
All I wanna give you  
It's only a heartbeat away_

_Oh, I need you darling_

A/N: Yes, it's mushy, I know :) Just wanted to give you guys some fluff since there hasn't been much J/H interaction during this story. Hope it wasn't too sappy, but let me know what you think! Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: All right, so here it is, the last chapter. I'm sad to see this one go, it's been really fun to write. But every good thing must come to an end. I want to thank everyone for reading this and especially for reviewing – you guys made my day, or my night, whenever I got a review! I'm really thrilled so many people have enjoyed this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it! So thanks all of you, I appreciate it more than you'll ever know! And now, the final chapter of Countdown.

_Two weeks later._

The gang was assembled in Eric Forman's basement yet again. Eric and Donna were snuggled together on the couch, Kelso sat on the lawn chair, and Hyde was in his chair, Jackie seated comfortably on his lap. The TV was on, and Scooby Doo and his gang of cartoon teenagers were busily scrambling to solve another mystery.

Kelso glanced up from the TV and looked around the room, a frown on his face. "Man, things just don't seem the same without Fez here. When's he coming back?"

Hyde shrugged. "He should be back pretty soon."

"Yeah, he said he wouldn't be gone that long, Michael," Jackie added, shifting more comfortably into her boyfriend's arms.

"Hey, you know what might ease the pain a little?" Eric said, grinning from the couch.

Donna looked at him and his smile spread to her face as she realized what he was suggesting. "I think that just might help our wounds to heal," she said, a hand to her heart as she feigned heartbreak. She turned to Hyde with a grin, who was already setting up the supplies.

"I'm way ahead of you, Forman," he said as Jackie scooted off his lap and sat beside him instead.

They formed the circle and Hyde lit up. They breathed the smoke in deeply and sat back in their chairs, each lost in their own thoughts. Just as they were all beginning to relax, the basement door burst open.

"I'm gone for two weeks and you bastards are celebrating?" Fez shouted from the doorway, feigning anger. But there was a small smile playing with the corners of his mouth.

"Little buddy!" Kelso cried and jumped up from his seat, rushing across the room and tackling Fez.

The others stood and made their way over to the foreigner, who was struggling under Kelso's onslaught. Eric reached out and managed to pry Kelso from the poor little guy, and then headed in for his own hug. Donna followed, and as she pulled away, Jackie leapt in and flung her arms around Fez's neck.

"We're so glad you're back, Fez!" she squealed.

"I can see that," Fez said, indicating the circle they'd started.

"Just a little something to dull the pain of your absence," Hyde remarked as Fez disentangled himself from Jackie's embrace. "Seriously, man, we missed you." He held out a hand for Fez to shake, and was surprised when the foreigner pulled him in for a hug.

Jackie clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "This is so great! Now we can have real circle time!"

"Yeah, even the circle wasn't the same without you, buddy," Kelso said as Hyde and Fez pulled apart.

"Well, then," Fez said, grinning. "I have two surprises for you that I think will make circle time even better." He turned towards the door and, as if on cue, a slender girl just slightly taller than Jackie stepped into the basement. She was dark-skinned like Fez, with long black hair reaching down to the middle of her back and bright amber eyes. She smiled at them all and came to stand beside Fez, who looped an arm around her waist. "This is my girlfriend…" he said the girl's name, his lips moving rapidly for several seconds, but the sound was muted by the sudden commotion issuing from the TV. When he finally finished saying her name, he smiled happily at them all.

Kelso turned back to the others and pointed over his shoulder at the new girl. "Okay, I'm not gonna remember that."

"Yeah, man, why do your people have such long freaking names?" Hyde said, pulling Jackie closer to his side.

Kelso's hand shot up in the air. "Oh, oh, I know!" he cried excitedly and then gave them all a dumb grin. "Let's call her Captain Poo Face! We never got to use it on Fez."

Donna smacked him in the back of the head. "You can't call Fez's girlfriend Captain Poo Face, you dillhole!"

Kelso rolled his eyes as he brought a hand to his head. "Fine, sorry Ms. Politically Correct. We'll call her Mrs. Captain Poo Face."

Donna hit him again, and the others just laughed.

"Oh, things will never change around here," Fez drawled happily. "Which brings me to my second surprise." He reached down into his duffle and pulled out a brown paper bag.

Everyone's eyes widened and their mouths dropped open as they stared at the bag.

Eric was the first to recover, pointing a finger at the baggie. "Oh, man, you guys, remember when I brought back that stash from Africa?"

The group nodded lamely, still staring in wide-eyed amazement.

"That was the best stash ever!" Hyde said.

Eric nodded, his finger still indicating the baggie in Fez's hands. "Yeah, I have a feeling this stuff is gonna be _way_ better than that stuff."

There was a pause, and then they all jumped into action, hurrying back over to the circle. They took their seats, Eric next to Donna, then Kelso, then Fez and his girlfriend, and finally, Jackie and Hyde. As they inhaled the smoke deeply, filling their lungs, they looked around at each other, goofy grins on all their faces.

"Oh, man, this _is_ way better!" Kelso cried.

"Yeah, you know, I never thought anything could beat that stuff from Africa," Donna said and then giggled. "Hey, did anyone ever notice what a funny word Africa is. Africa." She giggled again. "I mean just say it. Africa!" She collapsed into a fit of laughter, and Eric had to grab onto her to keep her from falling over.

He chuckled as he glanced around at his friends, still bracing his girlfriend with his arms. "I guess a little of this stuff goes a really long way."

"Where's this stuff from anyway, Fez?" Jackie asked.

Fez's girlfriend glanced at him. "They don't know where you're from?"

Fez shrugged. "It never really came up I guess."

"Never came up? Fez, we've been trying to figure out where you're from since the day you got here!" Hyde cried.

"Well all you had to do was ask," Fez said simply.

Hyde sighed. "Fine. Where are you from Fez?"

Fez gasped and dramatically placed a hand to his chest. "I am offended! You have known me for years and you don't know where I'm from? Well if you think I'll tell you now, you've got another thing coming! Now good day."

"But Fez," Kelso said, but Fez cut him off.

"I said good day!" But he didn't get up to leave.

Jackie cocked her head to the side. "Isn't this the part where you storm out?"

Fez nodded, a sheepish grin on his face. "Well, yes, usually, but this stuff is _really_ good!"

The others nodded in agreement, and for a few moments, there was silence, all of them simply enjoying the familiarity of being together once again, doing their favorite thing.

Then Hyde began, "So guys, there's this…"

"Steven, if you say there's a car that runs on water, I swear I'll break up with you," Jackie interrupted, narrowing her eyes at him threateningly.

"Burn!" Kelso shouted, and the others laughed.

Hyde pointed an accusing finger at each of them in turn. "Oh, you're all out to get me. Just like the government."

"Oh, shut up, Steven," Jackie said, and then shut him up herself by capturing his lips with hers.

"Hey, no kissing in the circle!" Kelso yelled.

Donna had stopped giggling and was now looking intently at Eric, stroking his cheek with her hand. "I'm so glad you came home, Eric. I love you so much."

"Donna, I love you," Eric said, and leaned forward to kiss her.

"Hey, what did I just say?" Kelso cried, his voice getting higher.

Fez grinned. "It is good to be home." Then he turned to his girlfriend and began kissing her.

"Hey!" Kelso screeched. The others were oblivious to his cries, and he sulked back into his chair. "Damn, where's Laurie when I need her?"

"Try upstairs, man," Hyde said, coming up for air and then delving back down again.

Kelso shot out of his chair and dashed up the stairs, calling as he went, "Hey, Laurie! It's me, Kelso! I need someone to make out with!"

Eric disengaged his lips from his girlfriend's for a second and glanced around at his friends, smiling widely. "You know, guys, I think the 80's are gonna be okay." Then Donna pulled him back down and he lost his train of thought.


End file.
